


Comfort and Bribery:The Many Uses of Pie

by SunnyD_lite



Category: Firefly
Genre: Gen, between series and movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-27
Updated: 2006-12-27
Packaged: 2017-10-07 17:37:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/67535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunnyD_lite/pseuds/SunnyD_lite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaylee has a chance to go home, but can she?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Comfort and Bribery:The Many Uses of Pie

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks **spiralleds** for her betaing. Muse was rough with this one, so all errors are my own. The prompt was hovel. One of my flist asked to see Jayne and Kaylee interact a bit. This is what the muse brought. Enjoy!!

She was in a tizzy and she knew it. But she hadn't been home in a coon's age and hadn't had much mail neither. Part of her wanted to wear the dress the Captain had bought for her when they was working that ball for Badger, but while it was home sweet home, her parents had no floating chandeliers or need or liking for such a gown. Giving it one last glance she shouldered her pack and climbed up, ready to head home.

"Not so fast there, missy," said the Captain, catching her attention as she hastened to the ramp. "Checked the posted alerts afore we landed."

Kaylee saw his attention wander to Inara, giving her a 'see I CAN learn from my mistakes' look. She almost snorted. And the Captain thought no one knew how they felt.

"Capt'n, it's home. Nothin' ta worry about. They all know me and I'm sure Ma will let me bring back one of her pies..." The way to Simon's heart might not be through his stomach, but the Captain? That was another story.

"Pie? Your ma bakes pies?" Jayne had been working out but seems like food was enough to pull him away from his weights.

"Home world or no, I'm not willing to lose my best mechanic due to sloppiness on my part."

She noted that his posture was back in command mode, rather than the loose relaxed stance of a minute ago. But he wouldn't, he couldn't deny her leave time. It was home! Biting her lip she tried to decide if furious or puppy-dog would work better. Puppy-dog it was. Widening her eyes, she looked up at Mal. "But Capt'n..."

"There, there. No need for those eyes, not going to deny you the right to see family, just reckon that going on your lonesome ain't the best of ideas. Things change, and can't afford not to think so."

"It's home," she repeated stubbornly.

"It might be, but the alerts mention a bit of slack on the side of law enforcement. Generally something I'm in favor of, but seeing how you're planning on awandering, I'm sending Jayne with you."

"Him?" "Me?" was the simultaneous out-cry.

"None of that. I've got some business that needs tending. Zoe and Wash have leave. And, while Simon might be a hell of a doc, Kaylee, I see you doing more protecting than vice versa. So, Jayne, you're doing this."

With a sideways glance, she confirmed that Mal had his mind set on this. She turned an eye to the sweaty mercenary. Her folks might not be pleased but they'd take the Captain's practicality as a kindness. They were used to people like Jayne. They'd understand him. She tried hard not to think of people they wouldn't understand.

With a small sigh, she gave in. "Well? Whatcha waiting for? Go get washed; there's pie."

That seemed to spur Jayne on, though he did leave behind him a trail of cussing like a radiation leak. She had a bodyguard. No matter. She was going home.

xxxxx

"This here space field, gosh, I spent hours here watching all the ships, chatting with the engineers and sneaking on board when I could. Ma said I was like a kid at Christmas each time a new ship set down. Not that this is a major field, but it's got 'The Crankshaft'." She glanced over and saw Jayne's glazed look. She knew she was babbling, but all the familiar sights had her insides aching. "It's where all the engineers hang out when they're on-world," she continued, babbling some more. "Best place to hear about the new engines, and the old ones, and which design worked best and well everything 'bout ships. Pops worked on all kinds of engines, from agri to mining, but..." Here she threw in a shrug; while all engines talked to her, only spaceship's sung.

Jayne stalked along, his hand caressing the sidearm he wore. Kaylee had to plead pretty for him not to bring Vera on this outing. Vera looked like she could shoot a ship right out of the sky. She'd told her ma that ship life was safe, no need to prove otherwise.

Her parents' place wasn't far from the space field. Closer to new materials and, as her pop said, all roads lead to the space port. No use working where custom couldn't find you.

It wasn't Persephone or one of the more citied planets. No always bustling market, it only ran one day a week and things seemed closer together than she remembered.

Nothing wrong with that; just meant she got home faster, is all. She'd had time to send a wave, but not knowing when they'd land she'd agreed to meet them at the house. Her pop had a big job going. She knew what that meant. 'Less she planned on ducking under an engine, she might not see him this visit.

They were at the outskirts of town when Jayne stiffened as a green, tubby shape accosted them. "Well as I live and breathe, is that little Kaylee? My word, girl, you've grown."

"You say that every time!" she responded before placing a hand on Jayne's arm. "Stand down. This here is George. He let me play with engines when Ma thought I was learning to knit. He's Pop's partner."

Sweeping her into a bear hug, George corrected her. "Was, deary, was. Sold out to your brother. Not that he's half the mech you are, but he knows his way around an anti-grav and he's a much better eye for the numbers than your father."

"You're heading to the house, ain't ya?" She clasped his hand as she used to, realizing now that the accustomed strength wasn't there and that his calluses had softened. It felt familiar but a little off, like something was missing.

"Got the call from your Ma. 'Spect you'll be seeing a few of the old faces this evening." His green eyes twinkled. "Sounds to be a fine shindig."

"Shindig, long as it don't turn out like the last one," said Jayne, showing the first sign of interest since she'd mentioned the pies. "Maybe you should have worn that--"

"Not that type of a Shindig: less fighting." She did a quick check to see that she hadn't managed to get grease on her coveralls since she'd last looked. Serenity had a way of marking her when she wasn't paying no mind. She'd thought about wearing a dress home, but none she had had seemed right. Coveralls it was. "But," she continued to keep Jayne distracted, "people dropping by oft'n means more food."

"Good, cuz I'm near sick of protein rations; them apples run out too quick."

Stomach was definitely the right approach, seeing how she didn't have any weapons to distract him with. A thought of their last outing crossed her mind. "These be my folks, not the ladies on--"

"Bee-Jway, girl. Mal gave me the same talking to. I'll behave."

Knowing that was as good as she would get from him, Kaylee nodded before turning to George and catching up on the gossip of marriages, births, and new ventures that had occurred since she'd last been home. George had always known the local news, being truly interested in folks' business. Pop preferred engines to people. Funny how she'd taken a bit from both of them.

They approached the house. The front yard was dusty but the flowerbeds were blooming with Ma's favorites. She knew the garden at the back would also be fine. Ma spoke to plants like Kaylee spoke to engines. Helped bunches when times were lean or water short. She wanted to pause, to take it all in when the front door opened and her ma came out wearing the apron with roses on it that Kaylee had sent her.

"Kaywinnit Lee Frye, what are you wearing and have you lost weight? You're wasting away! Don't they feed you on that boat of yours?"

"Kaywinnit?"

Her glare stopped Jayne's commentary in its tracks. Or so she thought.

"Nope, we've got food enough. Just little Kaywinnit here's been a pining for-- oomph." The last sound corresponded with her elbow meeting his torso. She knew the way to control him was through his stomach!

"It's not that bad, Ma. And this here is Jayne. He's part of the crew. Captain said there'd been trouble in these parts?" That last was part statement, part question. Home had always been safe, wasn't that part of what home meant? She didn't much like the thought of that changing, of her parents having to struggle more than usual.

"Pish posh. Nothing for you to worry about."

But she saw her ma's eyes take in Jayne and look relieved. How bad had things worsened?

"Where are my manners? Come in. I was just finishing up a pie"

"Pie?" Jayne piped up.

She had to get Inara to show her better fight moves. She'd hit Jayne as hard as she could and he was ready for pie? Though, giving the air a sniff, Ma's pies were worth it.

"Strawberry?" she asked.

"And a bumbleberry's in the oven," Ma confirmed.

"Mrs. Frye, them pies do smell real nice. Kaylee here's been talking about your baking." Compliments? From Jayne? "Too bad she don't know how. All her cooking tastes like engine grease." Well that sounded more like his grumpiness.

"Do not. Why that chocolate cake I made for-- okay, okay, bad example," she quickly amended. It just didn't feel right mentioning Simon here. Twas like they were two different worlds that she could overlap, but others couldn't.

They entered through the Dutch doorway, both halves moving as one at the moment, into the living space of the main floor. To the right was a kitchen with a half-wall, like a bar with shutters atop of it, currently wide open to let the breezes from the back windows pass through. ‛Course that also meant the scent of the pies cooling on the back windowsills, just this side of the force screen, also wafted towards them. Kaylee could just hear Jayne drooling. Three, Two, One.

*Splat* Well at least he aimed the lougie out the door. She and her ma settled in at the long, plank wood dining table set beside the kitchen. Kaylee slid into her usual chair, and noted how similar it all was to Serenity. Bits of this and that pulled together for usefulness and comfort.

George sat across from her, his back to the sitting area of the house. ‛Course at parties most folks ended up either at the table or in the kitchen leaving the sitting area alone. Funny how that was.

Jayne had just plunked himself on the sofa, resting atop Granny's quilt that was placed there to cover the holes. Why was she thinking such thoughts? Home had always been cosy and comfortable, a place where a bit of grease wouldn't harm much. Not like the central planets, where even the garbage dump seem pre-sterilized. She could see why Simon's clothes were all stiff-like in that environment. Twas like dirt knew it wasn't invited or something.

She was home. Time to focus on that. Shaking her head, Kaylee let the banter between George and her mother wash over her. She'd spent hours at this table listening like this. Ma had called her a cat for her curiosity about folk both near and on other planets. She'd always loved stories of travelers, one of the reasons she loved taking on passengers. But that was on Serenity. Folk here didn't move around much, so things felt the same. But they weren't.

Yes they were. She reined those thoughts in. It was home. George was here, looking a little more wrinkled and with more white in his hair, but here. Galen, her brother, was sure as shooting going to wander through the back door any minute and demand a hunk of HER pie. As shifts ended, the neighbors would be round. Maybe Susie Sung would bring over that beef barley stew, as well as pictures of her little ones. George had mentioned she and Katon Taylor had a passel of rug-rats. She bet by the end of the night there'd be drinking and music and plenty of 'party' foods. It would loud and raucous, a few spills of still-made liquor and grease smudges added to the chairs to tell the tale. It was just like old times. And she knew she'd enjoyed this before.

It just didn't fit as well now. Tales of harrowing trips to the next town during the rains kinda paled after they'd survived Serenity dying in the Black and coming back. Hearing about local disputes over lane ways when she'd helped rob a train. Not that these weren't proper-like concerns but they just weren't hers no more.

Home had always been a glowing warm light full of sound 'n fury. She'd always thought that phrase was a pretty one. Simon had told her the whole piece it had come from. "Sound and fury, signifying nothing." Home weren't nothing. It couldn't be. But tweren't everything anymore either.

She look around at what had once been a place of pride for her; no one was ever turned away from the Frye's. There was always space for one more round the table, another fiddle by the fire. It was worn through love, but worn it was.

She loved this place, but she knew Simon would only see a hovel.

And she hated that she could see why he might.

"Where were you girl? Here I knows you should be waiting for Pops to get back but the bumbleberry always tastes best warm."

Her ma slid a once broken plate, now fixed right 'n tight in front of her with a slab of pie. It was the comforts of home. She'd grab it while she could.


End file.
